Senate supports national homelessness action plan

Today the Senate has supported a Greens/ALP motion calling on the government to implement a national homelessness action plan, and supporting the launch of the Everybody’s Home campaign.

Senator Lee Rhiannon, Greens spokesperson for Housing congratulated the 26 organisations who have formed the campaign.

“Housing is one of the most important issues for Australians, yet the Turnbull government has consistently failed to provide real solutions,” said Senator Rhiannon.

“According to the latest Census data, the number of people experiencing homelessness has increased by 13.7 per cent since 2011.

“People experiencing homelessness are bearing the brunt of our rigged housing system, but people are hurting across the board.

“The Everybody’s Home plan addresses all aspects of housing – from homelessness to buying and renting – in order to reclaim housing as a human right.

“The Greens already have a plan to build the 500,000 new social homes called for in the Everybody’s Home proposal and we endorse the tax changes and a national standard for stronger renters’ rights,” said Senator Rhiannon.

According to data from the 2016 Census, the number of homeless Australians has increased by 13.7 per cent since 2011;

More than 116,000 people were experiencing homelessness on Census night;

The Everybody’s Home campaign has brought together 26 of Australia’s leading non-government social services providers, community housing providers and homelessness advocates to call on governments to commit to a national action plan to end homelessness that addresses all the drivers of homelessness, including the lack of affordable housing, poverty and family violence; rapidly rehouses people who are homeless and helps them stay there; addresses the over-representation of Aboriginal people in the homeless service system; and includes a commitment to ending homelessness by 2030; and

Calls on the government to provide the national leadership that is necessary and to work with state and territory governments to develop and implement a national homelessness action plan.